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EXTRACTS FROM HANSARD
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PROCEEDINGS OF CANADA'S SENATE

The following extracts have been taken from Hansard Records
of Canada's Senate for the 37th Parliament of Canada:

Debates of the Senate (Hansard)
1st Session, 37th Parliament,
Volume 139, Issue 120
Wednesday, June 5, 2002
The Honourable Dan Hays, Speaker

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Statistics Act
National Archives of Canada Act

Bill to Amend-Committee Authorized to Extend Date of Final Report

Hon. Michael Kirby: Honourable senators, with leave of the Senate and notwithstanding rule 58(1)(a), I move:

That notwithstanding the Order of the Senate adopted on April 25, 2002, the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology, which was authorized to examine and report on Bill S-12, to amend the Statistics Act and the National Archives of Canada Act (census records), be empowered to present its final report no later than September 30, 2002.

The Hon. the Speaker pro tempore: Is leave granted, honourable senators?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

Hon. Lowell Murray: Honourable senators, I do not rise for the purpose of expressing objection to this motion. However, I wonder whether the chairman of the committee could explain the reasons for the extension of time that is being sought by the committee on this matter.

Senator Kirby: Honourable senators, I had a discussion yesterday with Senator Murray, who moved the motion to send Bill S-12 back to the committee, and with Senator Milne, the sponsor of the bill. My original hope had been to seek a two-week delay.

A solution to the issue raised by Senator Murray is in fact to go before a cabinet committee tomorrow. It had been my hope that it would go to the cabinet committee tomorrow and on to the cabinet next week. We would then call Dr. Fellegi, the Chief Statistician of Canada, the following week. Unfortunately, he is going out of the country on Monday and will be gone for three weeks. He will not be back until after the Senate has adjourned for the summer, even if we sit until the end of June. I picked September 30 to ensure that we would deal with the issue as soon as we come back from the summer recess.

Honourable senators, I am happy to make a commitment to the house on behalf of the committee that, if the issue is not resolved, we will have Dr. Fellegi as a witness at the committee's first sitting following our return in September.

Motion agreed to.